One Way Out
by okh-eshivar
Summary: Robin wondered if she’d ever get used to it, the feeling of splintering bone beneath her fingers." After Robin kills her first man, she wonders if she could possibly do it again.
1. Chapter 1

Robin wondered if she'd ever get used to it.

The feeling of splintering bone beneath her fingers, the rhythmical popping of displaced vertebrae as she snapped a person's back with so little effort that it hardly even felt real. The sensation of blood spilling over her limbs without touching the offending source, that warm and bubbling liquid that sent tremors shaking through her body every time she came in contact with it. That shiver she experienced at the sight of a shattered, ripped apart body, a body she had just broken with her own many hands. She wondered if she'd ever get used to the feeling she faced after killing another human being.

She killed her first when she was eight. He was a marine, about 32 years old, who had recognized her in the first port she had arrived at after Ohara's destruction. She was already shaken, hungry, tired. On edge. He had cornered her, followed her a few blocks until they were a decent distance away from the major populated areas. It became evident that she was wandering; she had no idea where she was or where she was going. In a blocked off alleyway several miles from the port, he finally confronted her, grabbing her by the shoulder and flinging her around to face him. He picked her up with one hand, and slammed her into the wall closest to him, and pointed a sharpened blade at her throat. Apparently he had no intention of taking her back alive, not after knowing that she had escaped the Buster Call. No one escaped the Buster Call. It made her that much more dangerous, that much more _valuable._ It didn't matter; her bounty was the same, whether she was dead or alive.

Dead was just more convenient. She was no longer considered a child to the government. She wasn't even considered a person. Just trash that needed to be thrown away.

How could they be so cruel?

He looked into her eyes, wide and frightened beyond his comprehension, and for a moment he seemed like he was ready to lower his weapon, to spare her. For a single second he remembered she was just a child; perhaps he had seen the face of his own daughter in her's, and hesitated. Then, she saw the reflection in his eyes change back into the malicious intention she had seen in them before. Maybe he suddenly remembered how much more rich he would be if he did kill her.

Greed. That was his only motivation. It didn't matter who she was, just how much her price sticker was worth.

She screamed as the knife came speeding towards her neck, sure she would die there, in that dark alleyway, alone.

Suddenly, the hand that held her to the wall gave out, sending her tumbling to the ground. She landed with a thud, her feet ringing with the pain from the impact. Warm drops of some foreign liquid fell around her, landing on the ground in tiny, singular splashes. Several kissed her cheeks, leaving small streaks of crimson streaming down her face. She looked up to examine the source of the rain when the ring in her ears revealed itself to be the man, yelling and cursing, holding his hand in pain.

His palm was bleeding violently, his knife burrowed deep into his skin. It emerged through the other side of his hand, spearing clean through the muscle and tendon.

How…? Had he ended up stabbing himself instead of her by accident? She panicked, wondering if her attacker was crazier than she had anticipated, and pushed her way past the stumbling marine to make her escape.

He caught her as she past him though, tripping her with his own ankle. She was sent skidding several feet on her knees, the skin there ripping open and spilling blood onto the ground. She cried out in pain, freezing as his shadow towered over her, furious and crazed. He held a handgun now, the steel of its barrel pressing into her forehead solidly. She felt tears beginning to form in her eyes, fear overtaking her and overwhelming her ability to control herself. She thrashed about, his foot bearing down on her chest, trapping her. Her hands went to his wrist, clutching onto the limb, trying to force it from its position over her head. His foot pushed itself deeper into her chest, constricting her small ribcage and preventing her from breathing with ease.

She didn't want to die. The memory of her mother's last wish flashed through her mind. If she died now, Ohara would be lost, erased from the world to live on in history books. Would it even be permitted to remain there? She couldn't die, not now. Not like this!

Her ears were actually ringing now, the noise so deafening that she couldn't hear his screaming. Her tears blurred her vision enough to keep her from seeing dismembered hands grow from countless parts of his body, wrapping around him and swallowing his writhing form. She felt the pressure rise from her chest, and took the opportunity to drag herself to her feet. She ran several feet before turning to the man, who was still screaming, but now in panic and fear rather than pain or frustration. Her eyes widened in horror as he continued to stumble towards her, the only visible part of his body being one of his eyes and his screaming mouth.

Everything else had been swallowed by the alien limbs.

She hugged her arms to her body, feeling the sensation of his thrashing form on them. Her eyes were wide with horror as he somehow managed to draw another weapon, a small knife, and lurch towards her. He was screaming loudly at her, something about her already being dead. She closed her eyes and raised her arms up to her face, shielding herself from the edge of the blade futilely. Suddenly, she felt the muscles in her arms constrict, like she was tightening them around a piece of stale bread. She opened her eyes slightly, just long enough to see the arms enveloped around the man to tighten and pull all at once. She felt his entire body snap in a million different ways, his shoulders cracking as they were dragged backwards, his spine shattering under the force of dozens of arms pulling and pushing in opposite directions, his legs fracturing as they were ripped forth from their sockets. She felt blood on her fingers as two hands latched onto his upper and lower jaw, his teeth digging into her skin under their pressure. They pulled out, tearing his mouth in two. For a moment, his was completely frozen. No sound emerged from his ragged throat and his thrashing ceased. Then, his face was torn apart, his lower jaw snapping and splintering, disconnecting itself from his head altogether. His neck snapped with it, killing him instantaneously. It all happened within a quarter of a second.

A lifetime. She had ended a lifetime in a quarter of a second.

She just killed him. She just _**killed**_him!

She fell to the hard ground beneath her, her legs giving out in horror. She shook head violently, shutting her eyes and screaming. She hadn't even meant to kill him! She didn't even know how she had killed him! She didn't consciously summon the arms, it was a panic impulse!

She clawed at her arms with her fingernails, leaving deep incisions in her skin, trying to erase the feeling of his breaking body from them.

With that, Robin ran, her feet pounding down on the ground and sending shockwaves of pain racking through her legs with every step. Her knees were still bleeding badly, but she ignored it.

She had to get away.

Her legs carried her to a small house a few miles into a rural area. She knocked weakly on the wooden door. A young man opened the door a few moments later.

"Yes? Who is…it…" His voice trailed off and his eyes widened at the sight of the little girl covered in blood, tears streaking down her pale cheeks and arms covered in wounds.

"Please…help….me…" It was the only thing Robin had managed to say before the overwhelming urge to sleep overtook her, the darkness in the corners of her vision finally flooding her mind. She collapsed then, right in front of the young man.

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A/N: Yah, I know, it sucks a little. Just a quick thing I wrote when the idea of Robin's first kill came to me. I don't know if I should continue it, so comment and tell me if I should or not please!


	2. Noa

A/N: Okay, I have to admit that this chapter was a bit random and completely rushed at the end. I actually a completely different idea in my head but this somehow escaped instead of the good material…

Well, hope you people like it anyway! _–Nanaochan _

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"I really appreciate this. I'm sorry if I'm burdening you." Robin shivered and wrapped the blanket around her body tightly, sinking into its lingering warmth. Her arms ached in the slightest of fashions, the pain only reaching the deepest workings of her mind.

"No, no, its no trouble at all! In fact, I'm glad you came here first. God knows what would have happened if you had wandered to the wrong house. Some people in this town, they're not the kindest of souls, you know. Are you hungry?" asked the young man, his voice smooth and calming.

She hesitated for a moment before nodding shyly in a manner that was more towards the blanket than the man. He smiled nonetheless, rising from his place at the small table and walking out of the room briefly. She took advantage of his absence to survey her surroundings. The house was rather welcoming; the red cherry floorboards were covered in a plush throw rug, and the walls were painted with a soft maroon. The majority of the furniture was a brilliant white and the long silken curtains draped the windows in a light golden color.

Her examination was interrupted by a sound of small footsteps in the hallway to her right. Her eyes flew into its direction, staring intently at the doorway and waiting for the source of the noise to present itself. A large dog emerged from the doorway soon after, its presence catching the small girl by surprise. It froze as soon as it caught sight of her, studying her with alert curiosity. It paced over to her with heavy paws, its tongue hanging languidly from its open mouth. She noted how sharp its teeth looked.

The dog was even larger up close, the top of its head reaching just above hers. Its face and body structure resembled that of a Doberman, or a jackal, with a slim, elegant body and neck, its coat strong with an intense black with a small splash of white on the tips of its clipped ears. Its eyes were a strange combination of seaweed green with golden flecks.

She held out a closed fist for the dog to sniff, an offering it took with an odd air of dignity. It nudged at her hand with its muzzle, it's whiskers tickling the exposed skin. It sat quietly next to her, as if waiting for a scrap of food, and continued examining her. Robin looked the odd creature up and down and smiled for the first time since her encounter with the marine in the alley. It sensed the lightening demeanor of the young girl and lifted its front paws onto her chair, its height now towering over her's. She flinched back, slightly intimidated by the close proximity to the questionable animal, and watched as the dog leaned even closer to her face, its eyes baring deeply into hers.

What was with this gaze? Robin had never known an animal with such heavy, knowing eyes. They stared at one another for what seemed like hours before the dog broke the contact and stepped off of the chair.

_Forgive my rudeness. It isn't often we get visitors _spoke an alien voice. Robin whirled around, scanning the room of the source of the sudden disturbance.

_Over here, little mouse. _She looked to her left as directed, only to see the mysterious canine looking back at her.

"You?" she questioned with curiosity woven through her voice. Was the dog speaking to her? She must be going crazy. Were the events of the past week finally catching up to her?

Its green eyes glinted with a certainty as its massive head lowered itself in acknowledgement.

_Are you surprised?_ It asked.

She pondered on the question momentarily before shaking her head. "No, not particularly. The fact that you are talking to me is interesting, maybe even a little unnerving, but not surprising." She placed a small hand on the canine's head and gently pet the soft fur there. It leaned into her touch and closed its eyes contentedly.

_Really? You're not surprised at all?_ It questioned, slightly shocked at the calmness of the child.

"No," she replied.

_Heh. I see. You're a strange little mouse._

"I see you've met Noa. She's a friendly one, isn't she? Comes right up to you and looks for attention." Robin looked up to find the man smiling radiantly down at her, a steaming cup of tea in one hand and a sandwich in the other.

"Noa?"

_My name, little mouse. _

"Oh, I see. Yes, she is very nice…" Robin answered carefully, sensing the man's ignorance to the canine's ability.

The man ignored her hesitance and placed the food in front of her with steady hands. "Here you go. Eat up, and please tell me if I can get you anything else." He was beginning his trek back into the other room when Robin stopped him.

"Actually, sir, if it's not too much trouble, I'd was wondering if you had any work for me. I don't have anywhere to go, so if I can stay here for a little while I'll do any chores or errands you need," she said nervously.

He thought for a moment, absorbing her request. "Eh? No where to go? Don't you have parents who will be searching for you?"

She shook her head.

"I see…Well, I'm sure I can find some work around here you can do, if you'd like."

She smiled radiantly and thanked the young man, who in return offered an enthusiastic grin before disappearing into the doorway.

The dog turned towards her again, its head cocked slightly. _No home, little mouse? That is quite an oddity, for a girl as young as yourself. Did your parents abandon you in youth? Humans should learn to care for their pups properly, _it said silently, its upper lip ticking twice in an irritated manner.

Robin found herself contemplating the canine's words deeply. She'd never known her father, and her mother had left her when she was only two years old for the expedition, into the hands of her heavily abusive sister-in-law, Roji. She never liked that woman; she had treated her like a slave and never appreciated her hard work, as well as formed a habit of beating her whenever she was in a bad mood. She was an orphan then…

And she was an orphan now. A true orphan, with no parents, no home, no friends…

Only now the true weight of those words bore down on her with the crushing force of the entire ocean, suffocating her and plunging her into a deep pit of anguish. She hugged her knees to her chest and swallowed her tears. She was sick of crying. She'd cried enough for one lifetime already.

She'd never cry again if she could help it. Emotion, she was discovering, was the demon of suffering. She'd only laugh. Even if it was a completely empty gesture, she'd force herself to laugh at pain, laugh at death, laugh at the world. It was the only way she could save herself from a world that hated her blood and hunted her down. Laugh, just like Saulo had taught her. She'd hide her despair behind the shadow of a smile.

"No, I wasn't abandoned. My mom died a few days ago. And I can't go back home anymore," she said, her features betraying very little emotion.

Noa's ears went down when she replied. _I see. Well, I'm sorry for your loss, little mouse. But you have to be careful. People are naturally greedy, you know, and with a bounty like your's they're going to hunt you down like a dog. Step lightly, child, or you'll stumble at the worst possible time. _

Robin's head whipped around to face Noa with a nervous glow in her eyes.

"You…you know who I am?" she whispered, careful not to alert the man in the other room.

A sudden nausea rose from the pit of her stomach.

_I can smell your blood, little mouse. The blood of Ohara. I am a familiar to the place, you cannot hide your identity from me. _She shook her black head and paced about to the other side of the chair. _Humans always think that cats are the smart ones. So, what if they can find their way around the world? So can we. They're actually rather stupid. They just sit on their asses all day reciting poetry. Stupid cats. No use at all. _

Robin found her mood lightened by the canine's rant.

"You've been to Ohara?" she said, again very quietly.

I grew up there, as a pup. It was a beautiful place, it was. I'm truly saddened to hear of its destruction. You have my deepest sympathies. But, you understand, you are the last of your kind. The last living Oharan. Therefore, you must live. Ohara hasn't lost until you are dead, or until you have given up hope. Understand that, little mouse.

Noa began walking over to the doorway where her master had disappeared. _Do not fear. Abel cannot hear my voice, so you are safe, for now. But it will not last. _

With that, the mysterious dog disappeared into the other room.

It wasn't until she was completely gonethat Robin thought of asking her how she could speak.

'A devil fruit, maybe,' she figured. It was the most logical option. She sipped on the still-warm tea and bit into the salami sandwich. Delicious. She'd been eating nothing but water and plain bread for longer than she could remember.

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Cain fiddled with the WANTED poster on the coffee table on front of him and sighed. In bold black letters the name Nico Robin resided in the clarified space and just above that was the price tag the government had hung around the young girl's neck.

'So that's her name'.

Noa eyed him suspiciously. _This can't be good…_

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Like it? Hate it? Let me know!


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